Score board



Aug. 25, 1931.

W. P. BOTT SCORE BOARD Filed Nov. 22. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 25, 1931. w. P. BOTT 1,820,431

SCORE BOARD 5 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Nov. 22. 1928 Aug.. 25, 1931. w. P. BOTT scoRE BOARD Filed Nov.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 25, 1931 'WfISlIIiLRA P. BOTT, -OF HOHER, LOUISIANA OFFICE i sceau BOARDY Application. led November 22,1928. Se'rial No. 321,217.

. i -This invention has for its object the profaces which are exposed t view through the v1s1on of a score or bulletin board more respective' openings, as will be understood particularly designed for use -vat football games whereby the spectators may be informed at all times of the score of the game,

the period of play, the time left inthe playning period and the distance through which the team having the ball must carry it in vorder to retain possession. Ther invention upon reference to Fig. 1. Two disks are provided at each opening and they are Vmounted in any convenient manner on the back of the 55 board so that they ymay be readily rotated and the numerals displayed b the Several disks will be exposed directly be spective signs 'or indications 2 :and 3 so that provides a compact apparatus whereby ally they will, respectively. announce the score of 60 low the rethe essential data at any stage of a game will` the teams. Between the. openings 5 and 6,

be prominently displayed in such a manner that the spectators will comprehend the same at a glance. The inventionis rillustrated in the accompanying drawings and consists in certain novel` features which will behereim after first fully `described and then more particularly defined in the appended claims. i

`In the drawings:

.20* Figure 1 is van elevation of a bulletin 'or score board embodying the invention,

the word Playing is painted `or otherwise displayed upon the face of the board, as shown` clearly in Fig. 4, and hinged to` the face of the vboard immediately below said 65 Word is -a blind 'or sign plate 8 which normally is so disposed as to permit the word Playing to be read but is adapted to extend upwardly and be held over the Word Playing?, andto then display the words Time 70 but, the latter position of this blind or si Fig. 2 is a' rear elevation with parts in' plate being shown in Fig. 1. The blind 8 has section,

253' 3ofFig.2,

, Fig. 4 is `an enlarged detail perspective View of the clock-controlling member and a sign element which is operated in conjunction withsaid clock-controlling member,

v secured to one end an end of a rock shaft 9 Fig. 3 is al transverse section on the line Jwhich is mounted upon the front of the board 1 and is provided'adjacent the side edge of 75 the board with a crank arm 10 extending through a vertical slot 11 in the board to pass to the rear of the board. A pitman or operating rod 12 isv pivoted to the end of the crank' Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional'elevation of arm 10 and constitutes means for rocking the 80 the signal mechanism which announces the lclose of a period of play, and

Fig. 6 is a detail section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. In carrying out the invention, there is em-` ployed a boardor stand 1 which is set in an upright position and secured in place by having its lower end embedded in the ground or otherwise braced as may be preferred and 40 as will be understood. At thetop of this board on the face thereof presented to the playing field are spaces 2 and 3 marked by. more or less ornamental frames 4 in which are legends designating the res ective teams, 5 such as Homer and Visitors all of which is clearly shown in Fig. 1. Below the indications 2 and 3 are openings 5 and 6 respecblind When-necessary, as will be presently more particularly set forth;

Upon the front of the sign board 1 below the blind 8 is a frame 13, in the front side of which is a pane 14 of glass or other transparent 35 material which will serve to protect the timeindicating devices while permitting them to be easily read. Said time indicatorsl lnclude a dial 15 painted or otherwise inscribed u on the face' of the board and encircling a having radial bars or'strips 16 deiined therein in a color contrasting with the lield of they dial so that it will attract attention and may be easily read. The degrees of -thedial 15 represent seconds and the second hand of the 95 clock mechanism is in the form of a disk having a. plurality of radial bars or arms'17 eld 90 tively, and mounted on the back of the board i of the same form and dimensions as the strips in position to pass across said openings or slots are disks 7 bearlng numerals upon their or bars 16 Land of the same color so that the field of the dial will appear alternately as a 2 v v1,seo,4.s1

solid color and as-a series of radial stripes circuit closers so that, when the play lis or bars so that Ythe movement may be easily stopped for any reason, the' lineman may noted and the attention of the spectators will close a circuit to energize the magnet 29 and be attracted. One of the bars or arms 17 is thereby actuate the lever 24 to stop the clock. 5 formed withapointer 18 at its free end which, When play is resumed, the magnet will be` by its position upon the graduated dial 15, de-energized and the operation of the clock will serve to mark the number of seconds left will then automatically start anew. In order, in the incomplete minute of the remaining however, that the time indicator may be contime in the current playing period. Around` trolled in the event that the electric mechl 1 the circle of degrees 15 are numerals/indianism should be out of order, the pitman 12 cated at 19, which read counter-clockwise is carried downwardly to a point adjacentP from 1 to 15 and denotev minutes of play. the bottom of the score board and there piv- Football games are played in four periods of oted to a hand lever 30 which is pivotally fifteen minutes each playing time, andthe mounted upon the back ofthe board.

f time indicator includes a minute hand 20 It is desirable that the close of a playing l which travels over the dial clockwise and by period be announced in a positive' manner,

. pointing to any one of the numerals 19 .indiand my present invention includes means for cates the number of minutes left for play in automatically accomplishing this result. The the current period of the game. At the start arbor of the minute hand 2O extends entirely A20 of the period the minute hand pontseto the 'through the housing 2l and at it's1rear-ex-: l numeral 15, as shown in Fig. 1, and during tremity is equipped with a beveled pinion the play the hand will travel past' the respec- 31 and a cam disk 32. The cam 32" bears 'tive numerals successively and at any time against /a tooth 33 on the under side of a l -will indicatel the number of minutes of play lever 34 which is pivoted at one end upon 2.5 left L'in the period. The minute hand 20 and the housing 21 and at its other end is pivotedthe second indicator are driven by an ordito the upper'end of a trigger or rod 35 which nary clock\work mechanism housed in a casdepends to a point near the bottom of the ing 21'on the, back of the board, said clock board, the lower extremity -of this trigger work including an escapement 22 cooperating or rod bein pointed, as shown at 36 fora with a pendulum 23 in the usual manner. purpose whi h will be presently stated@ The` Extending across ther back of theboard above lever 34 plays'in a guide bracket 37 on the the housing 21 is a lever 24 pivoted at one back 1of the housing 21 and it is held conend to the board and having its other end pivstantly to the 4cam 32 by a contractile spring otally attached' to the. pitman or. connecting 38 attached at one end to the housing and 35 `rod 12, as shown at 25. Between its ends a at its opposite end to the lever, as shown in'V brake tooth 26 is formed onf the lower edge of Fig. 2. The pinion 31 meshes with a similar this lever and projects through an opening pinion 39 on `the upper end of a shaft 40 27 ,injr the top of the housing 21 to bear upon which extends downwardly to a point below the dog 28 of the clock escapement.' When the lower end of the rod 35 and is equipped i 40 play is in progress and the parts are workat its lower extremity with a pinion 41. Said.

ing normally, the lever is above and out of pinion v41 meshes with a gear 42 on the lower contact with the dog, butif the play` should end of a cartridge holder 43 which is rotatabe stopped for any reason, the pitman 12 is bly mounted on aI spindle 44 held in sultmanipulated to swing the lever 24 downward able brackets 45 secured upon the back of thev 5 so that the brake tooth 26 will bear upon the board. The lcartridge holder '43 is a cylinf! dog 28 and hold it in contact with the escapedrical body fitting closely upon the' spindle ment wheel of the clock work so that Lthe 44 but easily rotatable about the same and movement'of the clock work will be arrested provided Iat equi-distant points with fourl and the.- time-indicating elements 17 and 20 passages 46 opening through its upper and 59 will beheld at rest. 4.When the lever 24is lower ends and each adapted to receive a.- thus rocked downwardly to stop the clock, the cartridge, indicated at 47, the flange of the crank 10 is also swung downwardly so that cartridge resting on the upper end of the the. shaft 9 will be rocked and the blind 8 holder, as shown in F ig. 5, whereby the carswung up to the position shown in Fig. 1 and tridge will be supported and may be resentdisplay the announcement Time out. ed to-'the trigger or firing rod 35. pon re- It is intended that the position of the lever ferri'ig to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be noted that 24 be controlled from the side lines of the four cartridges are provided, and it will be playing field and to that end suitable elecobvious that it Vis intended to fire one ofthe trical devices are .provided including a magcartridges at the end of each playing period. net 29 mounted on the'back of the. bulletinV The parts are so timed and proportioned that 125 board 1"below the lever 24 and adjacent the the cartridge holder will make one-fourth of free end thereof, the lever constituting an afrevolution in fifteen minutes so that at the varmature for the magnet. A suitable source end of a playingI period a 4cartridge will .be of current'will be provided and at proper inbrought into yposition directly under the tervalsV along the side line will be provided pointed end -36 of the trigger or firing rod. 130

formed through tie score board and on theback of the board are mounted disks 51, 52`

and 53 which are adapted to display numerals through the respective openings, it being noted that there'are two cooperating disks 53. Below the openings 48, 49 and 50 are displayed in any approved manner words or abbreviations Down, Qtn and Yds to Go, as shown at 54 Vin Fig. 1. These legends are obviously intended to be read in connection with the numerals displayed through the corresponding openings and to inform the spectators of the number of the Down which a team is attempting to make, the period of play and they distance through which the ball must be carried by the team having )ossession thereof. The several indicating disks are intended to be manually set as conditions of the game may change so that the status of the game will be announced to the spectators and an operator for setting these several disks will be stationed back of the board. The board may be provided with a sight opening 55 below the legends 54 whereby the operator may post himself as to the progress of the game. but this sight apening is not essential inasmuch as it will be found more feasible to transmit the information to the operator through teleohonic connections extending along the side )f the playing field. Mounted upon the Jack of the score board at 'the lower portion )f the same are a series of hand dials or mobs 56, each of which is connected by a :hain 57 with a corresponding dial 7, 51, 52

)r 53. The several dials 56 have displayed hereon numerals corresponding to the nunerals 0n the signal dial which is operated by he respective hand dial so that the operator nay be informed as to the numeral which is lisplayed through the face of the board. In arder, however, that the operator may corlectly read the announcement even though le cannot see it, the hand dials controlling he cooperating signal dials 53 as well Vas the op dials 7 are arranged reversely with repeet to the signal dials and the operating hains 'cross-each other, as will be understood lpon reference to Fig. 2. lVhen the sight pening 55 is employed, the chain 57 which ransmits motion to the signal dial 52 will e carried around an idler 58 so that it will ot pass across the sight opening.

From the foregoing description, taken in onnection with the accompan \'ing drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and compact bulletin board which will be very advantageous for displaying the scores of football games. The working parts are `not so heavy as to prohibit ready transportation of the board if it be referred not to install it as a permanent Xture but the proportions of the board are such that it may be installed as a permanent fixture without detracting from the appearance of a-playing field and it Will serve to advise spectators of the exact score and conditions of play without requiring them to depend upon announcements of ref-- erees or other oiiicials and will avoid'disputes as to lapsed time.

lVhile the score board s'particularly dey signed and adapted for use at football games,

it will, of course, be understood that by slightly changing or rearranging the numerals on the dial of the clock said score board may be used with equally good results when playing basketball, Rugby, and other athletic games.

Having thus described the invention, I claim: I

l. A score board provided with a dial on its face, clock Work mounted on the board, a time indicator movable over the dial by the clock work, a rotatable cartridge holder mounted on the board, means controlled by the clock Work for continuously rotating the cartridge holder, and means controlled by the clock Work for firing a cartridge in the holder when the time indicator has traveled a predetermined distance over the dial.

2. A score board provided with a dial on its face, a clock Work mounted on the board, a time indicator movable over the dial by the clock work, the clock work having an arbor projecting therefrom, a cam on said arbor,y

a pinion on the arbor, a shaft mounted on the board, a pinion at the upper end of said shaft meshing withthe ypinion on the clock arbor, a cartridge holder adjacent the lower end of said vshaft and rotated thereby, a lever WISTER P. BOTT. 

